Argentinian prosecutors probing Liam Payne‘s death confirmed last night the arrests of three suspects who are now under formal investigation.
They did not name a ‘friend’, who they are accusing of ‘abandoning a person followed by death’ in relation to the singer’s demise.
They are also accusing the individual of being complicit in the supply of drugs, crimes which are punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years on conviction.
Two hotel workers are also among the three individuals now being formally investigated by authorities, according to ABC News.
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It comes after the One Direction star, 31, died after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16.
Argentinian prosecutors probing Liam Payne ‘s death sensationally confirmed last night the arrests of three suspects who are now under formal investigation
In their third official statement released since the star’s death, public prosecutors revealed only alcohol, cocaine and an anti-depressant were found in the former One Direction singer’s system.
Despite previous speculation, they have ruled out that the pop star took his own life after falling from the balcony.
The statement from the investigation led by prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea confirmed ‘unlawful conduct’ was discovered in relation to the pop star’s death.
The statement read: ‘Three people were charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.
‘From the beginning of the investigation and within a few days, exhaustive and meticulous actions and measures were carried out to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of the artist.’
They divulged that 800 hours of CCTV footage was examined as well as several dozen statements received from hotel staff, family, friends and medical professionals.
They confirmed that they had examined the pop star’s mobile phone in the investigation as well as the hotel guest registry.
They also confirmed that necessary thanatological and laboratory studies were carried out and completed in the post-mortem.
The statement continued: ‘As a result of the evidence gathered and after analysing the various bodies of evidence and numerous documentary annexes and the background of the case, the prosecutor Andrea Madrea formally charged three people, requesting their indictment and detention in a 180-page report presented last Friday before Judge Bruniard.’
They confirmed that an individual who accompanies the artist on a daily basis during his stay in Buenos Aires has been charged with abandonment of a person followed by death.
The person in question has also been charged with the concurrence with the supply and facilitation of narcotics according to authorities.
The second defendant who is a hotel worker has been charged with the supply of cocaine to Liam Payne during the period he was at the hotel.
The third person has also been charged with supplying narcotics to the pop star on October 14, prosecutors say.
It comes as several homes were raided in the
‘In addition, nine searches were requested at homes in the Federal Capital and the province of Buenos Aires, as well as the establishment of the secrecy of summary proceedings until they are executed, in order to protect the results and also the logical integrity of the investigation.
‘Judge Bruniard, in accordance with her ruling and the evidence she analysed, granted the raids requested by the prosecutor’s office, which were carried out with positive results, and took into account the facts alleged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to notify the accused and prohibit them from leaving the country.
‘In addition to the strong evidence obtained so far (visual, registry, medical, scientific, documentary, telephone, testimonial, etc.), the investigation must continue, since, among other proceedings, the unlocking of the victim’s personal netbook – which is broken – and other devices seized in the investigation are still in progress.
‘According to the investigation led by Madrea and his team of prosecutors, which analysed testimonies, video footage, messaging, documents, invoices, social networks and communications, among other elements, at least four supplies of narcotics from third parties and other facilitations of addictive consumption were visibly, concretely and convincingly accredited by his direct environment, which were aimed at the former member of the group One Direction during his stay at the hotel, between 13 and 16 October last.
‘The results of the toxicological studies – already communicated to his family – revealed that, in the moments prior to his death and during at least his last 72 hours, Payne only had traces in his body of a poly-consumption of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed anti-depressant. This conclusion was reached after full toxicological tests on urine, blood and vitreous humour, which were carried out in a very short time.
‘The morticians of the Forensic Medical Corps (CMF) who carried out the autopsy were the director of the Judicial Morgue, Santiago Maffia Bizzozero, and the forensic doctor Roberto Víctor Cohen, who concluded that Payne’s death was caused by ‘polytraumatisms’ and ‘internal and external haemorrhage’, as a result of the fall the musician suffered from the balcony of the third floor room of the hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood where he was staying.
‘In three additional reports of medico-legal considerations, requested by the prosecutor Madrea, Maffia Bizzozero and Cohen ratified, among other points, that all the injuries that Payne presented were compatible with those produced by a fall from a height and that self-injury of any kind and/or the physical intervention of third parties were ruled out. They also stressed that the victim did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself in the fall, so that, for the moment, it can be inferred that he may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.
‘On this point, the prosecutor Madrea requested an additional forensic psychiatric report and took testimony from the expert who prepared it. Although other medical antecedents of the victim’s medical history have yet to be analysed, the phenomenon of the lack of defence or conservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data due to its consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was in a state of noticeable decrease or abolition of consciousness at the time of the fall.
‘For the prosecution, this situation would also rule out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim, since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing and could not understand it.’
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